Fearing A Freak
by The Dam Chosen One
Summary: Lily grows up without the knowledge that she can do magic. Instead, she has "incidents" that cause her parents to fear her abilities. How does she learn of magic? (A story of the beginning of friendship between Lily and Severus) *revised*


The day Lily discovered magic was quite by accident. She had been running with her sister and needed a quick break. She sits down at the edge of the garden, wishing the flowers there would bloom. As she touches the velvet buds, they open, blooming in her hand. Lily was five years old at the time and thought nothing more of it. She admires the flowers until she finishes catching her breath and continues to run off and play. She never told anyone, but more for the fact that she didn't realize it was something different. Something strange. Something freaky.

Those were words Lily had never heard before. At least not concerning herself. A bright colored bug could be strange, a hairy spider freaky. But never people. Never her. But that wouldn't last forever. In fact, she would hear it for the first time three years later.

...

She was excited. It was finally her birthday, and today she was turning nine. Lily had gotten up early, just as the sun was rising. She had been ready to open presents and share cake with her sister. It was a well-known fact that Petunia absolutely loved chocolate cake, which was why Lily always asked for it. When that beautiful cake comes out, Lily is so excited she just... lets go. She feels a rush of feeling, almost like letting something out. And the next thing she knows, the cake explodes. It goes everywhere. Cake on the ceiling, on cabinets, in the carpet. Her poor family is covered in it. The thing was, Lily is spotless. In fact, there is a perfect circle around her, leaving her and her chair free from the mess.

That was the first hint to her parents that something was not normal with their daughter. They immediately went to their room to worriedly discuss the possibility that their daughter was different.

...

As Lily sat on her bed, she could hear her parents as they talked quietly in the other room.

"I'm starting to get worried about her," her mother had said. "These incidents can't keep happening. Someone is bound to notice eventually."

She can hear her dad as he sighs. "She can't help that she's...strange. We just need to find a way to control it."

The incident in question had involved Lily causing things to float around the room for extended periods of time. Not on purpose of course. These incidents, as her parents like to call them, were continually becoming more and more common, to the point where Lily is worried she will never be able to gain control. She doesn't know what is happening, but she does know one thing now. She is different and apparently that wasn't good.

...

A year passes. Petunia eventually becomes too annoyed with Lily's 'freakishness' (as she calls it) to overlook it any longer. She begins to distance herself, splitting the bond they had shared. Now Lily is alone.

She learns to get a handle on her strange incidents, but still has outbursts from time to time. Her parents continue to worry, and Lily continues to listen to their talk of her strange abilities. They fear it. So she begins to too.

...

One day Lily goes to the forest. There is a glade there that she loves to visit, where she can sit under the trees and stare up at the clouds. This time, however, she is not alone.

He tells her his name is Severus. They begin talking and sharing stories. Lily finds some of the things he says strange, but it's someone her age who wants to talk to her so she isn't complaining. Then it happens. Lily is sitting next to Severus when a branch next to her begins to rise. Lily is terrified, sure that she is about to lose her new possible friend. She looks over to Severus, knowing she will see something horrible. Something other than what she does see. She doesn't know how exactly she was expecting him to react, but Lily sure wasn't planning on his ear-splitting grin.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks. Lily looks at him confused. Severus continues. "Why didn't you tell me you were a witch?"

Lily is offended. The only witches she knows are the ones in her books, which are ugly and evil.

"I'm not a witch!"

Severus looks at her, now confused too. "Of course you are, you were just doing magic. What else would you be?"

Her mind spins. Magic? Is that what she did? Lily looks over at Severus. Suddenly, something clicks. He knows. He knows what's wrong with her, and he might know how to change her back.

"How do I fix it then?" Lily says to him. Severus looks concerned. Lily tries again. "How do I get rid of this? I don't want to be a freak!"

Maybe it is that word, the word her sister loves, that does it. Because suddenly Lily is crying, the constant fear and worry becoming too much for her. She just wants to be normal. She doesn't like being afraid of herself. Severus seems to understand exactly what happened, for he comes closer to Lily. He begins taking. He talks of the wonders of magic and of the beauty it can do. He tells her of the wizarding world and of the magical school called Hogwarts. He paints a picture for Lily, one of peace and joy. She is special, he tells her.

Lily still hesitates, her parents and sister's words still ringing in her ears. Different. Strange. Freak. She shares these words with him. She shares her fears, her concerns that she is not truly special, only different.

"It's real for us," Severus responds. "It may not be for them. But magic is real, and you really are a witch. You'll see. You'll get your letter. I promise."

Severus sounds so sure, so confident in what he says that Lily decides he must be right. She wants him to be right-she wants it so bad. So Lily goes to him, sticking her hand out.

"Show me how. Show me how to make magic."

Severus smiles, and Lily knows now that this will be her best friend.

...

Years later, their friendship breaks. It wasn't strong enough to withstand the pressures that were against them. But Lily never forgets. She never forgets Severus, and what he did for her. For he was the first. He was the first to take her hand, and tell her that she wasn't a freak.

"Show me," she had said. "Show me how to make magic."

And he did.

 **AN: written for the Pumpkin Pastie Eating Contest with the prompt "Show Me" (Not So Hungry 3). I tried something different. Not sure I completely love how it turned out. We'll see. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and please review! -Dam**


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